And moreover, we’re the only restaurant after Roanoke all the way through Winchester that’s directly off of I81 with this designation. The next closest restaurant in the Shenandoah Valley to also win this award is Circa 31 at the Mimslyn Inn in Luray, which is roughly 60 miles from here and not directly off the interstate.

In fact, only a little more than 2,500 restaurants world wide received this designation.

So proud

So we feel pretty glad to have staked out such a wide territory of local wine dominance, especially given their assessment of our wine offerings, that our wines:

Are internationally focused

Have affordable price points

According to their Website, the Award of Excellence is bestowed, “for lists that offer a well-chosen selection of quality producers, along with a thematic match to the menu in both price and style. Typically, these lists offer at least 90 selections.”

Yes, that’s us!

And we’re in good company, too, sharing the designations with luminaries like the Inn at Little Washington and The Ashby Inn.

All this and it’s my birthday, too — cause to celebrate, eh?

Raise a glass, enjoy a bottle

So I hope you’ll come in to AVA this week to enjoy our vast collection — over 140 vintages to choose from. In addition to wine at the restaurant, we also offer ABC off, with discounts for case prices.

Please help us to celebrate our fourth achievement of the Wine Spectator Award of Excellence designation by coming in this week to raise a glass to good wine in general, and great wine in particular at AVA in Staunton. We’ll have all our by-the-glass wines on special this week at $7 per, and we’ll offer 10% off all wines by the bottle in the dining room, and an extra 10% off of all case prices (which are already discounted).